Hurriyat's Pakistan trip fails to take-off; still hopeful

As Hurriyat Conference's visit to Pakistan, planned for Monday failed to take off for want of passports to the delegation members, a senior leader of the conglomerate said the team would go ahead with the trip whenever the travel documents were issued by the government.

"We are eagerly waiting for the Centre to issue our travel documents and hopefully all the five members nominated by the Hurriyat Executive Council will receive the passports," Executive Council member Sheikh Abdul Aziz, who is a member of the delegation, said in Srinagar.

Sheikh, considered to be a hardliner, said the date of January 15 had no significance and, "We shall go to Pakistan as and when the travel documents are made available to us."

"It does not matter when the passports are issued. What is important, in present circumstances, is to carry forward the peace process and find an everlasting solution to the Kashmir dispute," he said.

Asked about the future course of action if the Centre did not issue travel documents to any of the five members of the delegation, Aziz said it would be decided by the seven-member Hurriyat Executive Council.

To another question, he said the Hurriyat Executive would meet after hearing from New Delhi (about the travel documents). He said the aim of the Hurriyat delegation's visit to Pakistan was to give fillip to the ongoing peace process and find a solution to the Kashmir issue.

He said, "Sincere and serious efforts were necessary from all sides to break the ice and find a solution to the issue."